George Pickens might not have bailed on his youth football camp at the last minute after all.
On Friday, TruEdge Sports released a statement via NFL insider Jordan Schultz, walking back their accusation that the Cowboys’ wide receiver had pulled out of hosting his youth camp with the company at the last minute. TruEdge said their email to families ‘mischaracterized (Pickens’) intent and actions’ and that they never communicated directly with the former Steelers wideout.
Instead, the sports camp company is chalking the whole situation up to a miscommunication with Pickens’ representatives, which ‘led to confusion about the camp’s status and future direction.’
‘While our frustrations stemmed from the uncertainty surrounding the event, it was never our intention to publicly question George’s professionalism, integrity, or commitment to the community,’ TruEdge’s statement read. ‘We now understand that the tone and implications of our message were not only inappropriate but inconsistent with our values as an organization.
‘We recognize that he was navigating a significant career transition during this time and that his team kept open lines of communication with us.’
In their initial email to families who had registered for the George Pickens Youth Football Camp in Pittsburgh, TruEdge Sports wrote that Pickens ‘decided to walk back on his word and is no longer interested in attending the camp.’
They went on to say that his decision to back out ‘not only reflects a disappointing lack of accountability, but also shows a disregard for the families and children who were excited to meet him.’
In his social media posts releasing the statement, Schultz called the situation a ‘very overblown narrative.’
The camp has since been rescheduled to a new date in late July with Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth stepping in as its new host. TruEdge also promised in their initial email that they were in talks with several other Steelers players to make appearances at the camp.